REVIEW: Justice League: Throne of Atlantis – Commemorative Edition
In case you missed it, Aquaman opens December 21 and the early buzz is good. This will be his solo feature film, but he took front and center in 2015’s animated feature, Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, loosely based on the story arc that ran in Justice League and Aquaman, back when Geoff Johns was writing both series.
We reviewed the release back then and found Heath Corson’s script adaptation to be lacking in heart, eschewing characterization over mindless action.
To capitalize on interest in the Sea King, Warner Home Entertainment has released a commemorative edition that includes the complete film and the original extras: Villains of the Deep (12:00), Scoring Atlantis: The Sound of the Deep (30:00), Robin and Nightwing Bonus Sequence (4:00), and the 2014 NY Comic-Con Panel (27:00). Rounding things out, DC Comics Vault (83 minutes) offers up four episodes: “Aquaman’s Outrageous Adventure!” and “Evil Under the Sea!” from Batman: The Brave and the Bold, “Menace of the Black Manta and The Rampaging Reptile-Man” from the 1967-70 Aquaman series, and “Far from Home” from Justice League Unlimited.
The film is out as a 4k Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and Digital HD combo pack. The Blu-ray is virtually identical to the original release with one addition. The 4K transfer makes everything very crisp, capturing the colors nicely.
New to the release is Aquaman: The New King (15:00) where Corson and DC All Access host Hector Navarro gush about the hero. While they’re supported by voice actors Sam Witwer and Matt Lanter, it would have been nice for someone who actually worked on the comics to participate and help explain his place in the DC Universe. Apparently, the speakers were only familiar with more recent fare such as Peter David’s run and Alex Ross’ classic depictions.
Is it worth getting for 15 minutes of talking heads? Only if you don’t already own it and love all things under the sea.